The Sushi Box FX Secret Society

[Roxbororob]

Dunno but since I rolled that 12AU7 in my Slampegg I might not use my MORE as a sweetener/boost after it now because the 12AU7 sounds so incredibly smooth. I recommend if anyone has a spare 12AU7 to try it out. I ended up asking if it was safe to roll different tubes in my PF50T in the Portaflex club thread because of how much I'm liking it

I've been telling everyone to use 12AU7 since forever!


phooey missed page 1000!

 

[Hasty]

I've been telling everyone to use 12AU7 since forever!


phooey missed page 1000!

Ha! It was the flan that did it!!!

 

[furym]

I've been telling everyone to use 12AU7 since forever!


phooey missed page 1000!

In on 1001!

 

[jbybj]

Al this tube rolling talk, I’ve got 3 5751s en route.

 

[RobD_BritBass]

This might be a stupid question, but how much quieter is the finally with a 12AU7 installed? I get that the change of tube will lower the gain, but is the overall output level reduced by a significant amount?

 

[Sushi Box FX]

This might be a stupid question, but how much quieter is the finally with a 12AU7 installed? I get that the change of tube will lower the gain, but is the overall output level reduced by a significant amount?

I'll counter with another question, how high are you turning the volume with a 12AX7 installed?

It's a significant drop on paper, but in practice I would be surprised if you felt like you didn't have enough. Also all Finally units ship from me with the attenuation set below max.

• Finally v1 just has one attenuator for both outputs, and I always set it at 12:00, so what you thought was the max volume was actually half of the max volume.
  
• Finally v2 has independent attenuation trimpots for the independent outputs, and I set the 1/4" output attenuator at 12:00 and the XLR output attenuator at 2-3:00.

So if you swap for a lower gain tube and feel like you don't have enough output, REMOVE POWER FROM THE PEDAL FIRST then open up the back of the pedal and turn the "ATTEN" trimpot clockwise.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Some of you may remember my jazz bass build from a while back where I installed an Underground Accelerator as the onboard preamp, powered by a large battery pack. The voltmeter that monitored the battery pack was causing some noise on the output and I kept meaning to fix it but never got around to it. Today I got a new set of strings in (wanted to try half-round wound) and while I had the strings off I made that fix and also swapped the 12AX7 out for a 12AU7. I do like being able to get some growl, but realistically I will never need to get drive direct from my bass, and I wanted to make the volume control more usable.

It needs a setup now, but after playing for 15 minutes I'm in love with this thing all over again.

 

[RobD_BritBass]

I'll counter with another question, how high are you turning the volume with a 12AX7 installed?

It's a significant drop on paper, but in practice I would be surprised if you felt like you didn't have enough. Also all Finally units ship from me with the attenuation set below max.

• Finally v1 just has one attenuator for both outputs, and I always set it at 12:00, so what you thought was the max volume was actually half of the max volume.
  
• Finally v2 has independent attenuation trimpots for the independent outputs, and I set the 1/4" output attenuator at 12:00 and the XLR output attenuator at 2-3:00.

So if you swap for a lower gain tube and feel like you don't have enough output, REMOVE POWER FROM THE PEDAL FIRST then open up the back of the pedal and turn the "ATTEN" trimpot clockwise.

I've been turning the volume to probably around 1 o'clock at most, all be it with the gain relatively low, so it's great knowing there's a lot more potential volume available to compensate. I think I might do some tube shopping this afternoon. I was thinking of going for a 5751 but on this evidence I might try a 12AU7. At the end of the day, if it doesn't do what I want it to I can swap it back.
As ever, cheers for the great advice!

 

[MikoFX]

I've been turning the volume to probably around 1 o'clock at most, all be it with the gain relatively low, so it's great knowing there's a lot more potential volume available to compensate. I think I might do some tube shopping this afternoon. I was thinking of going for a 5751 but on this evidence I might try a 12AU7. At the end of the day, if it doesn't do what I want it to I can swap it back.
As ever, cheers for the great advice!

Where is everyone purchasing their tubes?
I use TubeDepot, but am wondering if I'm missing the boat by not checking out other online retailers...
Particularly if they have better pricing.

@Sushi Box FX, I imagine you might be able to add some particularly valuable insight...

 

[Parzival]

I’m thinking about trying out a 5751 in the Underground Accelerator. I’m going to be using it for two purposes. With my active bass, I’m going to be using the UA as an alternate drive, but with my passive bass I’ll be using it as a clean preamp. Since it will be in front of my Finally, which always has just a touch of grit, it will get to driven real quick. I like the 12ax7, but something in between the gain of the 12ax7 and a 12au7 might be nice.

 

[Diddywah]

My Nobelium has, finally , arrived at the post office....but I'm in the mountains skiing for the weekend....so picking it up Monday and going straight to rehearsal with it Monday night. Really looking forward to that!

 

[TonyP-]

My first official Sushi Box pedal: The Purple HAZ

View attachment 5406920

I love this...

 

[sloppy_phil]

I’m thinking about trying out a 5751 in the Underground Accelerator. I’m going to be using it for two purposes. With my active bass, I’m going to be using the UA as an alternate drive, but with my passive bass I’ll be using it as a clean preamp. Since it will be in front of my Finally, which always has just a touch of grit, it will get to driven real quick. I like the 12ax7, but something in between the gain of the 12ax7 and a 12au7 might be nice.

You should dig it! I use passive basses only, and I find I don't get noticeable breakup (and even then only when I really dig in) til about 1 o'clock. It's that super saturated, edge of breakup tone, where playing dynamics control how clean or gritty you get. Truly, it is my happy bass place!

That being said, depending on how hard you want to hit the Finally, a 12AT7 may be an even better choice. I could be mistaken, but where a 5751 has a gain factor of 75/100, the AT7 is more like 60/100. So it'll clean up even further, if you need it to.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Where is everyone purchasing their tubes?
I use TubeDepot, but am wondering if I'm missing the boat by not checking out other online retailers...
Particularly if they have better pricing.

@Sushi Box FX, I imagine you might be able to add some particularly valuable insight...

I get my tubes from the wholesale arm of Antique Electronic Supply/Amplified Parts. It's a little cheaper than they have them on those sites, but not drastically cheaper. The tube is usually the single most expensive part of the pedals I make.

 

[Hasty]

Where is everyone purchasing their tubes?
I use TubeDepot, but am wondering if I'm missing the boat by not checking out other online retailers...
Particularly if they have better pricing.

@Sushi Box FX, I imagine you might be able to add some particularly valuable insight...

I've purchased from TubeDepot, but I've also ordered from Antique Electronic Supply. I wouldn't necessarily rate one better than the other in my experience, but I prefer AES because they have a bigger catalog of other stuff. TubeDepot is mainly tubes... AES also has a nice enclosure selection, switches, oddball capacitors, etc...

 

[Dr McBalders]

TC Tubes has been my go to for a few years, especially for NOS stuff. I've had really good luck with them. I just got some clear top RCA 12au7A's for the Nobelium from them, in fact.

 

[KPopOnBass]

I'm in love with this thing all over again.

Off-topic from your post, but that pickguard is KILLER! If you made that, you should make more and sell them (not that Sushi Box Enterprises has time for a Sashimi Pickguards subsidiary). If you didn't make it, I'd be interested to hear where you got it...

 

[Sushi Box FX]

Off-topic from your post, but that pickguard is KILLER! If you made that, you should make more and sell them (not that Sushi Box Enterprises has time for a Sashimi Pickguards subsidiary). If you didn't make it, I'd be interested to hear where you got it...

Thanks man, I did actually make it. It's solid aluminum, CNC milled, powdercoated, and laser engraved. I would have to find a way to streamline the process if I were to sell these, it was a lot of work making it. It's a lot easier to just buy pre-cut aluminum pickguards that I can then powdercoat and engrave, the milling work is the time consuming part. I did these for a partscaster build I put together a while ago.

 

[Tassieviking]

That is some impressive work, if I could make that I would charge a lot for them, only because I would pay a lot for them as well.
If I put something like that on any of my guitars it would be like giving strawberries to pigs, I might have to buy some better gear one day.

EDIT: If i owned that i would be confused whether I should play it or frame it and hang it on the wall.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

That is some impressive work, if I could make that I would charge a lot for them, only because I would pay a lot for them as well.
If I put something like that on any of my guitars it would be like giving strawberries to pigs, I might have to buy some better gear one day.

I have those on a cheap import body I paid about $120 for. It's not my main guitar, but it has a real Fender neck and decent pickups, so it works for what I wanted it for.